The Legend of Slash’s Appetite for Destruction Les Paul

Slash grips one of the three highly mythologized
Les Paul replicas that he has used over the years
(right)—which may or may not have been the inspiration
for his new signature Gibson Appetite Les
Paul (left). Photo by Neil Zlozower

Mythology is an essential part of human life. We may not
spend much time discussing winged-footed Greek gods
or tales of dragonslayers while we tune our guitars and
haul amps into clubs. But myths and legends are still all around
us. From the triumph of the Jedi in the Star Wars films to the
latest heroic act on the sports field, myths inform our culture
and sense of belonging. And even within a musical context,
certain stories take root, grow, expand, mutate, and are shared
for generations until they reach legendary proportions.

The story of Slash’s instrument arsenal during
the heady days of recording Guns N’
Roses Appetite for Destruction is just such
a tale, retold by our era’s version of epic
poets and debated as hotly as any controversial
archaelogical discovery.

In March 2010, Gibson Guitars released
their Slash Appetite Les Paul model. The
company’s press materials proclaimed this
was “the axe that launched a thousand
riffs.” In videos hosted on the Gibson website,
Slash holds the new model next to
his personal guitar and says, “This is the
original right here,” and “It’s basically set
up just like my original was.” The camera
slowly pans over the instrument and zooms
in on some of the details.

“All things considered, with the original
one, it just happened to have a certain sort
of unique tone unto itself,” Slash says in
the video. “With the new one, we basically
tried to capture that. The new Appetite for
Destruction guitar is about as close as anybody
could get to the original.”

According to luthier Roman Rist, the middle Les Paul replica here is Slash's first from luthier
Kris Derrig—the one Rist says Slash used on the tail end of Appetite. The guitar on the right
was built by Peter "Max" Baranet. The instrument on the left is purportedly Slash's second
Derrig model. Photo courtesy of Roman Rist

The guitar was hailed as an impressive
instrument. When Premier Guitar reviewed
it, we said, “It’s a well-built, high-quality
Les Paul with flawless playability and gorgeous
looks.” The review carried a 4.5 rating
out of a possible 5.

That review also pointed out something
that Slash fans and internet forum users
had known all along: The Slash Appetite
Les Paul is actually a replica of a replica—
because the instrument Slash rocked on the
iconic album wasn’t actually a Gibson. The
“original,” as Slash calls it in the videos,
was made by California luthier Kris Derrig.

Slash and Gibson did not respond to interview
requests for this article. However,
we should note that the general attitude
among savvy guitarists is that Gibson’s
Appetite Les Paul isn’t some attempt to
hoodwink an unsuspecting public. Most
observers feel that if a customer is a big
enough fan to pay the list price of nearly
five grand for the instrument, they’d also
know the true story. And Gibson’s new
Appetite guitar does include some modern
updates that theoretically improve its practicality
for a mass audience. And in many
ways the Gibson
initiative to sell
such an instrument
addressed a burgeoning
demand among
consumers—and
addressed it well.

“I don’t fault them
at all,” says guitar
builder Roman Rist,
who figures into the
earlier days of this
tale. “Slash does
have a relationship
with Gibson. Slash
is a bona fide rock
star, and, for them,
why not make a Slash
model? I’m sure Slash
had plenty of input in
the design to be able
to sign off and be
happy with the guitar.
I don’t see anything
wrong with it.”

But while Gibson
rehashed the iconic
instrument for today’s
musician, the larger legend is much more
complex. Indeed, there are many who allege
Slash actually wielded three Les Pauls during
the time in question. Those three guitars are
shrouded in questions, contrasting memories,
and conflicting reports. Examining the
legend of these instruments is like trying to
unravel the threads of an ancient Norse epic
or documenting the numerous trysts and offspring
of the Greek god, Zeus. Each answer
opens a new question, each thread ends at
the beginning of a new one.

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